Vise for holding workpieces of diverse shapes



Nov. 27, 1956 G. F. STAPLES ETAL 771,803

vIsE Fox HOLDING woRKPIEcEs oF DIVERSE sHAPEs Filed Nov. 23, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet l Inventors Crordonf-Si-aples -l- Rober? Mcche R, f f, L hvnh 1 l IHNMUHHHHHMMWMVHH--Il A Homey Nov. 27, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed NOV. 23, 1953 n ventor Gordon F Sapls v Robert /Wichell United States Patent vISE non HOLDING woRKrnscEs or Drvnnsn shares Gordon Francis Staples, East Kilbride, and Robert Mitchell, Castle Bromwich, Birmingham, England Application November 23, 1953, Serial No. 393,910

Claims. (Cl. 81-38) This invention concerns vises.

It is frequently the practice in machine shops lfor special jigs and yfixtures to :be designed and made for holding each different one of the majority of differently shaped components which require machining. This practice, particularly in machine shops where most components .are manufactured on a batch production basis or where very small numbers of like components are involved, is highly uneconomic lbecause it is very lrare that Ia special jig or fixture can be used or be adapted for use for holding a different component.

The main object of the present invention is to provide a vise which can be quickly and inexpensi-vely adapted for holding varied components of diverse shapes, 'and a further object lof the invention is that such v-ise should be also capable of speedy conversion to a vise of standard type.

According to the present invention a vise includes for One or both jaws, holder means capable of adjustable location thereon and attachment thereto, -locator means slidably held by each said holder means, each capable of being shaped at one rend to suit the component to be gripped, and one or more thereof being shaped at the other end to abut means which allows of movement thereof to compensate Ifor slight variation in component size before the gripping pressure of the vise becomes effective.

More particularly in accordance with the invention a vise has vertical serrations at the front of the jaws thereof, there being provided as auxiliary equipment, for each jaw, two holders each having like vertical serrations on the rear face thereof -to enable same to be adjustably located and clamped in position against the jaw, sets of locators, four per set, each locator being capable of slidable engagement in a standard `bore in its respective holder 'to lie longitudinally of t-he vise when the holder is in position and |being shaped to suit the component to be gripped, and, behind each jaw, la rocker, pivoted lbetween the two locators `at that side of the vise and in which the rear end of each said locator is adapted to nest, said rockers allowing slight compensatory movement of said locators for variation in component size, before the gripping pressure of the vise becomes elfective.

Preferably, in addition to said holder means, plain plates are provided as an alternative thereto, so that the vise may be converted to standard type.

An adjustable clutch may conveniently -be provided to ensure a const-ant gripping pressure on each component.

The invention will be described further by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. l is an elevation of a vise constructed in accordance with the invention and holding a selected component,

Fig. 2 is la plan corresponding to Fig. l, and

lFig. 3 is a fragmentary plan showing the vise converted to standard type.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary, vertical transverse section on the line 4-4 in Fig. l.

ice

The vise is basically of the normal type comprising a body 11 by means of which it can be secured to a machine tool table, a lead screw 12 mounted in the body 11, a fixed rear jaw 13 and a front jaw 14 carrying a nut 15 which engages with the lead screw 12 thus enabling the jaw 14 to be adjusted -by turning a handle 16 secured to the forward end of the llead screw 12.

The confronting faces of the jaws 13, I14 are vertically serrated and for each such serrated jaw face is provided a pair of holders 17 -correspondingly serrated on their faces so that they may be clamped rigidly in position on the serrated vise jaw -face by means of la lbolt 18 passing therethrough to engage with `a nut 19 located in a T-slot 20 transversely of the vise jaw, 'at varying distances one from lthe other. In the vise illustrated, which is -a sixinch vise, the width of the jaws 13, 14 is such that the holders 17 can ybe brought up 'into contact with each other, or spaced one from the other up 'to an approximate maximum of four inches.

Each holder 17 has a lsquare hole therethrough which lies -longitudinally of the vise yand with one diagonal vertical when the holder lis in position. The upper corner of the hole just -breaks Ithe top surface of the holder. Each hole accommodates a llocator 21 having a .square crosssection with a very small clearance, of the order 'of onethousandth of an inch, to give a close sliding lit. Each locator 21 is of such length as 'to protrude strom the holder 17 at both sides, the holder 17 standing above the vise jaw to allow this. That end of each locator '21 extending from the rear serrated lface of i'ts respective holder 17 is machined to an accurate spherical radius, whilst the front end of each locator 21 is machined, as will be described later, to grip the component.

Each vise jaw has rotatably mounted, by means of a socket head cap screw 22, on the longitudinal center line of the vise, a rocker 23. One face of each rocker 23 lies just behind the serrated face of the vise jaw on which it is mounted and each side thereof is machined at an angle of about seven degrees to the front of the vise jaw, receding from the latter as it extends towards the side of the vise. A cylindrical groove 24 at the same angle is provided in the face of each rocker 23, the radius of the groove being the same as that to which the rear end of each locator 21 is machined. The rockers 23 are hardened and ground.

In order to adapt the vise for gripping the component 25 illustrated the first step is to set the holders 17 at the correct spacing and then to lock them in position against the vise jaws. Next, the locators 21, of suitable length, are placed in the square holes of the holders 17. Each rocker 23 is locked in position with its longitudinal center line square to the axis of the vise screw 12. This operation is facilitated by the provision of two hushed holes 26, 27 one in the rocker and one in the vise jaw, accurately positioned so that when in align-` ment, a pin may be accommodated therein to locate the rocker 23 in the desired datum position. Each locator 21 is then slid rearwardly until its spherical end seats in the cylindrical groove 24 in the respective rocker 23. The locators 21 are then locked in position by means of grub screws 21a provided in the holders 17.

Then, with the vise fixed on the table of the machine tool, which may for instance be a milling machine, the front ends of the locators 21 are machined at the correct angle for gripping the component. In the case of the component illustrated the machining of the end faces of the locators 21 is a simple procedure involving merely the swivelling of the milling machine table to the necessary angle and surfacing same to cause the respective locators 21 to move past an end mill xed in the machine head. In other cases it may be desirable to mark out the end of each locator 21 prior to machining which, in the exampleillustratemhas aliat lower face, is supported'betweenthe opposing pairs. of locators 21 ona parallel 28 and the movable vise jaw 14 brought up towards the other jaw 13'by turning the. lead screw 12,. The locators 21 abut the. angular faces of the component 2SV and the reaction force brings their rear ends into hard abutment with the grooves 24 in the respective rockers. 23. Each rocker 23, being free to rotate, willbe self-.adjusting to the component 25 andwill thus. allowv forsmall variations in the size of the later. As soon as the. gripping force. reaches acertain magnitude the reaction force of the rocker 23 on to the locators 21, which due to the inclination ofthe front face of the rocker 23, has a component transversely of the vise, causes the locators 21 to lock in the square holes, with which, it will`be remembered, they have a very close it.

In order that the gripping force of the vise on the component should be constant for each component, an adjustable clutch 36 may be provided. in the driving ar rangementof the lead screw 12. In the illustrated embodiment'of the invention, the normal handle 16 located on the square endof the lead screw 12 is supplemented by a further handle 29 carried by the end of an upwardly inclined split shaft 30, 31 of short axial length journalled in a housing 32 cast integrally with a bearing housing 33 of a lead screw ball race. A driving connection is provided between the lower half 30 of this shaft and the leadscrew 12`by a pair of bevel gears 34, 35. The clutch 3 6 is ofthe dog type with very shallow teeth having inclined sides anda thrust washer 37 is screwed into the end of the shaft housing 32, a helical spring 3S being disposed between a thrust race 39 in the face of the washer 37 and one half of the clutch which is formed integrally with that half of the shaft to which the handle 29 is attached. The spring 38 can be loaded variablyv by screwing the thrust washer 37 in or out by means of aspecial tool thus enabling the load'at which the clutch will slip to be correspondingly varied. By this means a constant gripping force on the component can be ensured.

The secondhandle 29 also avoids the: diiculty of the other handle 16 fouling the table. Either handle, of course, may be removed when not in use.

As an alternative to the holders described, flat hardened and ground plates 40 may be provided with serrations to tit 4the serrations on the vise jaws as shown in Fig. 3. The length and depth of the plates 49 are commensurate with the length and depth of the vise jaws and when bolted in position using the bolts 18, the vise is capable of use as a standard vise.

The vise is capable of universal adaptation and by way of further example, four types of component of widely varying shapes will now be described to illustrate its adaptability.`

A thin template having a variously curved perimeter can be held efficiently in the vise. In this case the end ot' each locator is conveniently provided with a machined shoulder, the template being thereby provided with four supporting surfaces on which it can be rested while it acts as a guide for the marking out of the locator ends.

A double shroudedturbine blade can be conveniently held in the vise for the datum milling of'facets. For this purpose special locators would be provided having specially shaped slots extending transversely acrosstheir end faces to receive the sides of the turbine blade.

Small components may be held. in. the. vise two at a time, onebetween each opposed pair ofl locators.

For holding circular components, particularlyJ hollow cylindrical castings; with thin walls, a setof standardlocators may be used having their end faces machined at an angle of forty-tive degrees.

Although the invention has been particularly described with reference to drilling and milling operations it can be used to equal advantage for instance on grinding machines, and numerous modifications in its construction may easily suggest themselves to a person skilled in workshop technology, and the scope of the invention, therefore, is to be understood as not limited in any way to the constructional details of the particular embodiments de' scribed.

We claim:

l. A vise comprising a body, a fixed jaw tixedly-rnounted to said body, a sliding jaw mounted for movement towards and away from said ixed jaw along said body, a lead screw journaled in said body and engaging a nut in said sliding jaw whereby movement of said sliding jaw may be effected, a pair of laterally spaced holdersonthe confronting face of at least one of said jaws, a locator mounted in each holder for longitudinal sliding motiona: rocker on said jaw rearwardly of said locators'and; being. centrally pivoted, the rear faces of said locatorsabutting.; against said rocker on opposite sides of said pivot;

2. A vise comprising a body, a fixed jaw tixedly mounted to said body, a sliding jaw mountedv for movement. towards and away from said fixed jaw along said body, az

lead screw journaled in said body and engaging a nut in.

said sliding jaw whereby movement of said sliding jaw.y may be etected, a pair of laterally spaced holders on the confronting face of at least one of said jaws, a locator mounted in each holder for longitudinal sliding motion, arocker on said-jaw rearwardly of said locators andbeingl centrally pivoted, the sides of said rocker being angular, the rear faces of said locators abutting against said rocker on opposite sides of said pivot.

3. A vise comprising a body, a fixed jaw lixedly mount-` ed to said body, a sliding jaw mounted for movementto` wards and away from said ixed jaw along said body, a lead' screw journaled in said body and engaging a nut insaid: sliding jaw whereby movement of said` sliding jaw'may beeffected, a pair of laterally spaced holders on the confronting face of at least one of said jaws, a locator mounted in each holder foi-'longitudinal sliding motion, a'rocker' on said jaw rearwardly of said locators and being centrally pivoted, the rear faces of said locators, abutting `against a forward face of. said rockeron opposite sides of said pivot, said abutting faces being shaped as a ball and socket joint.

4. A vise comprising a body, a liXed jaw tixedlymounted to said body, a sliding jaw mounted for movement towards and away from said iixed jaw along said body, la lead screw journaled in said body and engaging a nut in said sliding jaw whereby movementof said sliding jaw may be effected, two holders having standard bores secured to the confronting faces of each jaw, a locator slidably accommodated within each of said bores and disposed longitudinally of the vise, and a rocker pivoted behind each jaw on an axis between sliding axes of the two locators associated with each jaw and arranged so that the rear ends of saidlocators abut thereagainst to allow slight compensatory movement of said locators forvaria tion in component size before the gripping pressureof the vise becomes eiective. l

5. A vise having vertical serrations atthel front of the jaws thereof, there being provided. as. auxiliary equip,- ment, for each jaw, two holders each having like vertical serrations on the rear face thereof to enable same to be adjustably located and clampedA in. position againstl the jaw, a locator provided for each holder, each locatork being capable of slidable engagementin astandarm bore: in its respective holder to lie longitudinally of the vise when the holder is in position and being. shapedto.v suit the component. to be gripped,and a rocker pivoted behind each jaw on an axis extending between.longitudinal-v axes of the two locators associated with each jaw of the vise and in which rocker the rear end of each said locator is adapted to nest, said rockers allowing slight compensatory movement of said locators for variation in comp0- nent size, before the gripping pressure of the vise becomes eective.

359,942 Shaw Mar. 22, 1887 Hutton sept. 22, 1914 Fieldhouse Feb. 12, 1918 Joksch June 4, 1929 Skay Oct. 7, 1952 FOREIGN PATENTS Austria Oct. 10, 1925 Great Britain July 5, 1950 

